For Your Eyes Only: Choose Copy Approval

by Zara McAlister and Ciaran Ryan/Business Wire Toronto

With annual earnings around the corner, you’re probably experiencing frantic phone calls, mountains of paperwork and fast approaching deadlines. This means longer hours at your desk, surviving on massive cups of coffee, while you crunch numbers and push out press releases. The clock is ticking. And in your stressed out, sleep-deprived state, mistakes are more likely to happen. Some of these oversights might be minor, but one wrong figure in a table can cost you both time and money.

For an extra set of eyes, look no further than Business Wire editors. Our Copy Approval function gives you the chance to preview your release before the rest of the world sees it. The service only takes a few extra minutes, and it will guarantee you peace of mind. It makes the editing process more seamless, plus it’s free when you select it with your order on Business Wire Connect. So why not take advantage of it? Here are some ways Copy Approval can come to your rescue:

Errors BewareBusiness Wire maintains a sharp editing staff. More often than not, the editor assigned to your release will spot an error you may have missed. Editors often catch company names missing from headlines, repeated words ( e.g. “this this”), problems with quotation marks and the occasional comma splice. When editors notice mistakes and feel changes would improve the quality of the release, they need your approval before jumping ahead. Rather than attempting to describe edits over the phone, the Copy Approval option allows everyone to be literally on the same page by looking at the physical preview to see changes. If your order includes multiple languages, the HTML preview will allow you to cross-check the different translations for consistency.

File MisfireThink of Copy Approval as a free insurance policy for your press release. Let’s say you accidentally send in the wrong document to our newsroom — and yes, this does happen every so often. Opting for Copy Approval gives you a second chance to catch your own mistake. Potential crisis averted. Without this function, editors would have no way of knowing the wrong file was sent in.

No Two Tables are AlikeTables come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big, some are small and most are chock full of numbers. The tables you see in your Microsoft Word or Excel document will appear differently as HTML. Of course, the content will be the same, but the design will be adjusted. For instance, those beautiful colour coded tabs you spent most of the night working on will unfortunately not show up in the distributed release. A Copy Approval preview will give you and your colleagues a better idea of how your tables will look on the web before the release is sent out.

Picture PerfectPress releases featuring multimedia elements have a higher likelihood of being picked up by journalists and will have increased overall visibility. But a misplaced caption or a video mix-up can draw negative attention to your release. Avoid multimedia missteps with Copy Approval by taking a second look.

Look Before You LinkHyperlinks are a staple of the modern press release. Not only do they give the reader an option to browse additional related content, but they also help to ground the release in search engines. When editors receive your release, they will automatically activate your links for increased search engine optimization. But only you can make sure the links are pointing to the intended websites. With the Copy Approval option you can double-check your links before the release is sent out. One last glance can ensure your reader stays engaged with your release and isn’t left wondering why a hyperlink of your CEO’s name was linked to your kid’s Facebook page.